Salvadoran prelate: new statements by former military commander could shed new light on Archbishop Romero assassination

San Salvador, El Salvador, Mar 28, 2006 / 12:00 am (CNA).- Archbishop
Fernando Saenz Lacalle of San Salvador expressed his hope this week
that statements by former military captain Alvaro Saravia would shed
new light on the 1980 assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero.

Speaking to
reporters, Archbishop Lacalle said, “History has its rights and sooner
or later all of the events and details are going to be made
known. Perhaps these statements by Captain Saravia can shed light
and provide interesting information.”

Saravia, who was
ordered to pay $10 million in reparation to the family members of the
slain archbishop, said recently he would ask the Church for forgiveness
for the assassination and that he would reveal the names of other
individuals who were involved in the killing.

At the same
time, Archbishop Lacalle said the person of Archbishop Romero should
not be politicized because that would affect his cause for
canonization. “All of us have the opportunity to contribute
positively to advancing” the cause, he added, noting that it falls to
the Holy See to determine if Archbishop Romero is a martyr.

“It is a
delicate matter,” he continued, “because martyrdom means being killed
out of hatred for the faith or the Church and not for political
reasons.”

Archbishop
Lacalle noted that a “fundamental fact” in Romero’s cause is that “he
died as a priest celebrating Mass,” which he called a special favor
from God, and he underscored that the Congregation for the Causes of
the Saints has examined his writings and has declared them to be
faithful to the teachings of the Church.

Archbishop Oscar Romero was killed on March 24, 1980, while celebrating Mass at a hospital chapel.